Betfair Super Saturday: Filey 3/1 favourite to keep Betfair Hurdle rivals at Bay

• A field of 18 declared for Saturday's Betfair Hurdle

• Filey Bay is the 3/1 favourite but Paul Nicholls has two strong contenders

• Nicholls also holds a strong hand in the Grade 2 chases

Filey Bay is the 3/1 favourite to win Saturday's Betfair Hurdle at Newbury after 18 runners were declared for the Class 1 contest.

The JP McManus-owner Irish Raider is unbeaten in two starts since joining current trainer Emmet Mullins, and the 7yo looks set to make a bold bid as he progresses through the handicap ranks.

Betfair Ambassador Paul Nicholls has two runners in the race with both Hacker Des Places and Rubaud holding strong claims, available to back at 7/1 and 15/2 respectively.

The race, which carries a guaranteed prize pool of £155,000, is one of the season's premier handicaps for up and coming hurdlers and has been won in the past by the likes of top class racehorses My Tent Or Yours, Ballyandy and Kalashnikov.

Betfair Spokesman, Barry Orr, commented today: "As you would expect it's a fiercely competitive field and several horses are attracting support. The favourite, Filey Bay, is steady at 3/1 and a couple of outsider attracting support are Deere Mark, 12/1 from 25/1 and the Paul Nicholls trained, Ruband, who's 15/2 from 12/1."

Graded chases at the mercy of Nicholls?

Elsewhere on the card - officially called Betfair Super Saturday - Nicholls looks to have strong chances of landing both the Grade 2 Chases.

Hitman is the 7/4 favourite to win the Betfair Denman Chase, and he'll be out to return to form after a disappointing performance in the King George over Christmas, while Greaneteen is a warm order to win the Betfair Game Spirit Chase.

The 4/9 favourite will be having his final run before going to the Cheltenham Festival to contest the Champion Chase, where he is currently available to back at 14/1.

The Betfair Hurdle - Sponsor Odds: 3/1 Filey Bay, 6/1 Hacker Des Places, 7/1 Icare Allen, 15/2 Rubaud, 9/1 No Ordinary Joe, 10/1 Monviel, 12/1 Deere Mark, Glory And Fortune, 14/1 Faivoir, Teddy Blue, 16/1 Aucunrisque, 20/1 Highway One O Two, Master Chewy, 25/1 Onemorefortheroad, Yorksea, 33/1 Restitution, 40/1 Tritonic, 100/1 Glorious Zoff

*Each-Way 1-2-3-4-5

The Betfair Denman Chase - Sponsor Odds: 7/4 Hitman, 5/2 Eldorado Allen, Fanion D'Estruval, Does He Know, 8/1 Sam Brown, 20/1 Kalashnikov, 33/1 Zanza

The Betfair Game Spirit - Sponsor Odds: 4/9 Greanteen, 5/1 Funambule Sivola, 6/1 Elixir De Nutz, 8/1 Malystic, 66/1 Mortlach